Interviews with Fernando Abelleyro

I have always been fascinated by architecture and art . When I was a child I thought how someone could “out of nowhere” transform an idea, a thought, a sensation into a creative fact. At 18 years old, I asked my father if he should study architecture or fine arts, and my father, with his wisdom, told me " You must study architecture because you are going to be able to help and transform people's lives."

As architect, "If we do a project, we should try that after our intervention the place is better or not worse"
I was always an advocate of main idea, guiding idea, as we call it "el partido" in my country. A project in my opinion is good when it starts from a synthesis idea and all the design aspects come together to enhance it. This idea must undoubtedly have a basis based on the complete analysis of the program, the site where the project will be implemented, its context, climatic and environmental conditions, its users or potential users, the memory, the cultural and constructive tradition of the place.
It´s important to make differences between ideas of occurrences: a strong idea, persists and transcends its time and your own horizon, an occurrence no. It is based on previous experiences, sometimes own and sometimes foreign situations, the voice in my conscience of my master proffesor as the necessary self-criticism to refine the idea and design the entire proposal. Figuratively without losing sight of "the forest", then come "the trees", although these are also outlined, I finish adjusting the leaves and branches. All the particular aspects necessarily come together to reinforce the first general idea.Also as Proffesor, I always tell my students that architecture is "space", there are three dimensions that must be lived, unlike a painting or sculpture that are the result of a creative process that cannot be "habited". Undoubtedly I focus on "everything" aspects for the project, in a comprehensive way and what experiences and feelings I am going to awaken in people. For design I prefer technological tools, but first the conceptmust born in my head and take life in my hand , on a white sheet.

I feel passion, freedom, inspiration. All the process are exciting, from the initial idea to the inauguration. But the most exciting situation is when people take possession of your project, this is the most amazing moment, no doubt.

Mi expereicne as student and Professor give me a special background. I suposse that everybody always learns from good and bad experiences, in college when I was a student, many teachers told me what not to do, but sometimes that correction generated more doubts than certainties. I learned that it is easy to say that it is wrong, but it is very difficult to give the answer on how to solve what is wrong.
I prepared myself seeking to be able to give those answers; so when someone consults us, they should leave with more certains and answers than questions.

The human being seeks transcendence, transcendence through his children, transcendence through his works. Living implies the challenge of leaving a footprint, a path that someone else can tread and that helps them not to take a wrong step, or better yet to take a big step. That transformation must be positive, teaching your children, teaching your students, does not only mean showing them what you have, but making them see what they can do for themselves. That is why an architectural work is more valuable when users learn, reformulate it and overcome what someone imagined as a designer. My dream now is to be able to return to a project in Europe, a work with a strong social connotation.

You must live your profession with passion, each design is not just another fact, a photo, it is something that can transform your life and that of others forever. A good designer is creative, a great designer teaches with his creativity. Every trouble had a solution, you just have to find it. Creativity, search, dedication, knowing how to decode what is sought or needed, overcoming work to work.

I suggest you live your profession with passion, each design is not just another fact, a resume photo, it is something that can transform your life and that of others forever.
-Working and striving pays off,
-Doing is making mistakes and coming back,
-Experience is built on good and bad,
-Knowing how to listen is knowing how to learn and how to do.

My day is divided into my activity and my family. It starts at 6.30 AM,and 8.00 AM I work as Undersecretary in the Faculty of Architecture, until noon, there I start my private activity until 16.00 PM , After I will teach (twice a week) or I will stay working in my studio until 12.00 PM

I have always looked for a personal imprint, to get away from trends, I think that good design can be part of a fashion, but excellent design transcends its time, and always repositions itself. That's the difference between a good design and a great design. A good designer is creative, a great designer teaches with his creativity. Although inspiration knocks on the door whenever it wants, I always try to go out and find it!

I think a good design is creative, a great design teaches with his creativity.
Superior design just thrills

I think the design is ready when it has to be delivered! Projects never" freeze" for me, Always I come back and retouches or reformulates it, even after it is built, I still think about how I could improve it.

It was certainly the work experience in Ireland, when I won with Arch. Mauro Romero the 1st prize in the international Father Collins Park competition in Dublin, Ireland, a project to design a public park on the outskirts of the city, organized by the city council, and where 44 teams from all over the world participated. The process was extensive, from the moment we won the contest (in December 2003) until it was inaugurated (May 2009), with work marked by teleconferences, travel and the foundation of a company established in Ireland, ararq. Beautiful and complex process. That project gave us many satisfactions, we obtained numerous international awards. One of the superlative points was the differents activities in the park , for all families around it and over this place.
We also included environmental proposal, since we incorporated a lake and weetlands where the procreation of wild species was weighted, and we proposed wind turbines whose energy generation served to power the lights and motors of the park, and its beauty form cut out the irsh sky. It was one of the first public parks around the world that incorporates this kind of suitanable energys, an incorporated it as part of the project.

I have a lot, but I admire the Masters of Architecture, Le Corbusier, Mies van der Rohe, Frank Lloyd Wright, Ralph Erskine, Antony Gaudí and my master teacher, the architect Mario Linder. They are the ones that most influenced my career.
I would love to take a coffee with Le Corbusier and ask him how he did to get ahead with his work, so much in his time

My lifestyle is that of a professional who loves his family and his profession, between those two passions my life moves.
My city is Buenos Aires, but I am fascinated by Italian cities and culture.I also love music and it is part of my creative process.
In relation to my country, in many cases, Argentina was moving away from my understanding of the architectural paradigms of the world. With brilliant architects, however, the national production did not always reflect that creative genius that many of my colleagues have. I suppose that this difficulty is revealed by the recurring economic fluctuations to which our profession is subjected. Environmental issues are also being incorporated, gradually.
Architecture transformed my experienced life, thanks to it he learned, traveled, had achievements that made my life full, I love architecture alive and breathe, always.

My work culture is to work making the most of the hours of the day. If I have to prioritize something, it is work, there are no holidays and there are no breaks. My philosophy is to work honestly. Creative honesty, project honesty and business honesty.
I work in a public office, as Under Secretary and I am a university professor. In my study I work alone and I associate as projects arise that require a working relationship, and with colleagues with whom we have an affinity for project thinking. I am currently associated with Arch. Ariel Pradelli. The main challenges are self-improvement, training and creating, always in constant evolution.
A good designer is whose work transcends the horizon he imagined, transforming people's lives beyond their expectations.

I have always worked for the community, I have studied in public institutions, and 25 years ago I develop public activity as an architect and as a teacher apart from my private professional activity. I feel that I will never be able to give back to the community the sacrifice It made, by paying their taxes so that I could study.
Public work, whose profitability in many cases is poor, is the space where I try to return to the academic and non-academic community so many years of sacrificial silence for me.

When I told my colleagues to win this relevant and momentous award, they warmly congratulated me. For me it was and is a unique and wonderful experience. The scale of this award is superlative for me. I have won other architecture competitions, but this one has met all my expectations, due to its seriousness, commitment, support, internationality, the emotion I have has overwhelmed me.
It is undoubtedly a platform for professional growth that fills me with pride, and opens new horizons to my professional career.

The need to promote a typological construction that enhances versatility and constructive possibility that wood offers; in our country it was never widely accepted as a reliable and noble construction material. It was necessary to generate a project wich expresses the potential of this wonderful material.The inspiration was given by the context itself, given the search to articulate a fluid relationship between the house and the landscape. An strong spatial and visual relationship with the context,

I really don´t know. The most wonderful thing about this project is that it has transcended the horizons I imagined.

Just one week. But the projects never "freeze".

The client wanted a small wooden house in a fantastic natural landscape. When visiting the place, I imagined a project that solves three conditions, relationship with the environment, spatiality and materiality.

No, it is a unique and unrepeatable architectural project

My passion for architecture

My architectural “baggage” is the result of an internal search for improvement, and the teachings of my dear proffesor and teacher Mario Linder, the reading of the masters, Le Corbusier, Mies van der Rohe, Frank Lloyd Wrigh, Gaudí. They made me understand how wonderful is to have a passion for design, to feel that we positively transform people's lives.

For this particualr design he was a private client, a fantastic Film Producer whose name is Rolando Santos. He was fascinated by the idea, and support any stage of the project.

I think that question can be answered by my colleagues better than me. I think all designers seek to create a project that is different from what already exists.

Santos, it was always like this. It is the name of its owner, Rolando Santos, a tribute to his trust and support.

Lots of hand drawing, a computer, autocad, office pack.

I suppose it is the conjunction of three aspects, the idea, its contextuality and its material.

The Architect Pablo Coles collaborated with me on the construction aspects, and Proffesor Mariano Mirengo, who had a sawmill and knowledge of wood. We had to train people who made wood roofs, who had some skill in handling the material, since there were no trained personnel to build wooden houses.

Fundamental.The totality of the house is made of wood, structure, ceilings and floors, calculated and dimensioned considering the architectural modulation and commercial availability in terms of market sections and pieces, optimizing and rationalizing the construction..

No, just my personal experience in the field of design, research and teaching

The economic difficulties that my country went through during the construction process

Fortunately, he had already participated in other international competitions and had obtained awards (Ireland, Spain). It is a way of understanding where I am standing as a designer worldwide.
A ´Design Award is a wonderful space, I have discovered thousands of design projects in all disciplines, a" world bank of inspiring cultures", which allows you to understand the world of design much better, more broadly, better understand your place, and what think the world of your creativity.

Learning goes beyond works and develops throughout life.

Yes, just the last refelction:
"The challenge of reflecting, designing and building."
University training and professional practice offer the project challenge of reflecting, designing and building. The path of permanent personal learning and training, begun in university workshops, transfers different scales and spaces of proposal, academic and labor. The University, Public Organizations, private studies and companies, Architecture and Urbanism competitions, may be those areas where everyone can think, design, plan and materialize architecture and urban projects. These projects will constitute social events and therefore a propositional axis will be necessary, the structuring of which will be independent of the field of work where the architect develop them, and will be defined by the theoretical framework of their training, dialogue with the context of their insertion, critical analysis and self-criticism of ideas, knowledge of available technologies and resources, applied methodology, enriching multidisciplinary work and, fundamentally, the good of the community.

Fascination. I have always been fascinated by art and architecture.

It was a choice.

Design, as a creative space, any design is relevant to me regardless of its scale, location, materiality.

Thank you !, May you live your profession with passion, each design is not just another fact, a resume photo, it is something that can transform your life and that of others forever.

A good designer is creative, a great designer teaches with his creativity.

A good design transcends it time and the horizons that the designer imagined

Good design teaches and transforms people's lives

For those who need it and who value it.

I would be fascinated to develop a project for a museum or educational building in Europe.

Constancy. passion, awareness.

The Masters of Architecture, le Corbusier, Mies van der Rohe, Frank Lloyd Wright, Ralph Erskine, and my master teacher, the architect Mario Linder.

The Sagrada Familia and the Ville Saboye. The field of design evolves with technological-constructive developments, of that I have no doubts. I always tell my students how difficult it has been for Gaudi (even the Sagrada Familia is unfinished) and Le Corbusier; built Villa Saboye, - "the live machine" -, when both his thinking and his vision of architecture were so advanced and out of date with the technological and constructive solutions of the time.

It was certainly the work experience in Ireland, when I won with a partner the 1st prize in the international Father Collins Park competition in Dublin, Ireland, a project to design a public park on the outskirts of the city, organized by the city council and where 44 teams from all over the world participated. The process was extensive, from the moment we won the contest (in December 2003) until it was inaugurated (May 2009), with work marked by teleconferences, travel and the foundation of a company established in Ireland. Beautiful and complex process. That project gave us many satisfactions, we obtained numerous international awards. One of the superlative points was the environmental proposal, since we incorporated a lake and weetlands where the procreation of wild species was weighted, and we incorporated wind turbines whose energy generation served to power the lights and motors of the park.

That they live their profession with passion, each design is not just another fact, a photo of a CV, it is something that can transform your life and that of others forever. I always ask my students a question, when one begins to be an architect, when they obtain the degree or when they sit for the first time in a faculty classroom in front of a sheet, and throw their first drawings. I believe that one begins to be an architect from the moment they decide to study architecture, that is day zero and from that moment they must dedicate themselves to the profession with an avidity for knowledge and with passion.

Plastic artist

Design is the space where creativity transforms people's lives.

My family, my colleagues, friends.

The academic space where I was trained

Economic and opportunities. My country, in many cases, was moving away from my understanding of the architectural paradigms of the world. With brilliant architects, however, the national production did not always reflect that creative genius that many of my colleagues have. I suppose that this difficulty is revealed by the recurring economic fluctuations to which our profession is subjected. Environmental issues are also being incorporated, gradually.

The works must be presented with the highest possible degree of fidelity. Without generating false expectations, they must reflect what they will really be.

The future is uncertain, but I do know that I try to do the best.

Help people, and be recognized as someone who contributed valuable architecture to humanity.

May I always do my best effort.

When it positively transforms people's lives.

I am currently carrying out several projects, of multifamily housing in the city of Buenos Aires, of various scales, also preparing talks for students and works that have to do with new projects for the Faculty of Architecture, an architecture research laboratory.

A colleague stated that his favorite design was always "the last". It seemed like a wise answer. Particularly my favorite projects were two: “La casa Santos” and “Father Coliins Park” (in Dublin, Ireland), a 16 hectareas public park that won first prize in an international competition. In both projects, what has most pleasantly surprised me is the projection they had, beyond the scope that I planned. These projects reached horizons that I never imagined.

That the design industry is affordable to all human beings, regardless of their economic position.

Like life, design evolves, but must always accompany human needs in this evolution, leaving aside vain questions.

It always depends of aspects like scale, program and scope. But I think a design never "freezes", never closes, even finalized and built, there is always something that can be improved.

I differentiate ideas of occurrences, a strong idea, persists and transcends its time and your own horizon, an occurrence no. It is based on previous experiences, sometimes own and sometimes foreign, the voice in my conscience of my master teacher as the self-criticism necessary to refine the idea and design the entire proposal. Figuratively without losing sight of "the forest", then come "the trees", although these are also outlined, I finish adjusting the leaves and branches. All the particular aspects necessarily come together to reinforce the first general idea.

Positively transform people's lives. Always ask me, what is the best I can design to respond to this program?

Good designs transcend trends, they are timeless.

It is relevant because it represents the idea, but the most important thing is the idea

My resource box is a computer with i5 processor, cad and revit programs, photoshop and office, and internet search engines, sites like A´Design Award, Pinterest, Archdaily.

They are fundamental, act directly on people's mood

If it have exceeded my own expectations.

I wonder where so much inspiration has come from?

He is the architect Ariel Pradelli (my partner today) and I believe in co-design, as a simultaneous feeding of knowledge and ideas.

It was a personal project, the architect whose collaborated with me was Pablo Coles, in the constructive process.

The Faculty of Architecture, and a book by Ralph Erskine.

With investigation, work, dedication and creative passion.

I would love to have a personal meeting with Le Corbusier and ask him how he did to abstract himself in some sense of time and space, keeping his convictions.

Successes as well as failures must be carried with humility.

Colors all, place, my house, food pasta, spring season, favorite thing pen, brand montblanc

Once I designed a project for a friend. He wanted a Californian style house, and I told him that I could not design trends, but what came out of me. Finally, he put my project in a drawer and made a house for himself as he wanted. One day a client appeared in his business, who wanted a wooden house. My friend took the project that I had done for him and the client loved it -from the drawer of his cabinet! -That house finally was made, which later won numerous awards and distinctions.

I like to design, any challenge that involves designing I'm passionate about it.

No, but I have always been fascinated by art and architecture. When I was a child I thought how someone could “out of nowhere” transform an idea, a thought, a sensation into a creative fact. At 18 years old, I asked my father if I should study architecture or fine arts, and my father, with his wisdom, told me "study architecture because you are going to be able to help and transform people's lives."

I really don't know, I hope the world is still a place where you can live.

Positively transform people's lives, improve yourself, always, so you can grow.

My "company" is one-man, just me, over the years I have associated with different professionals, but only with those with whom I share that "passionate" feeling for architecture. I am also an architecture proffesor and Prosecretariat at the Faculty of Architecture from the University of Buenos Aires.

Design is the space where creativity transforms people's lives.

Architecture works, simply.

A colleague stated that his favorite design was always "the last". It seemed like a wise answer. Particularly my favorite projects were two: “La casa Santos” and “Father Coliins Park” (in Dublin, Ireland), a 16 hectareas public park that won first prize in an international competition. In both projects, what has most pleasantly surprised me is the projection its had, beyond the scope that I planned horizons that I would never have imagined.

The first project I designed for a company was in a contest, a 150 m2 industrialized technology house, and I got a 2nd prize. I had received as an architect same year.

Internet is a fascinating experience, because it allows you to know what the architecture world offers in record time, sitting comfortably in your study. I find the A´ Design Award competition platform exciting, seeing the diversity and unlimited creativity that unfolds; Pinterest, ARQA and Archdaily. At the experiential level, the workshop where I teach, with an architectural production that feeds back year after year, approaches and proposals that force you to position yourself in a design place where you normally would not be.

When I sit down in front of a white sheet, and turn over the drawings that move in my head

I always tell my students that architecture is space, there are three dimensions that must be lived, unlike a painting or sculpture that are the result of a creative process that cannot be "habited". Undoubtedly I focus on "everything" the project, in a comprehensive way and what experiences and feelings I am going to awaken in people.

Passion and freedom, a refuge that isolates me from the world.

An immense joy, since my work can help many people to feel better.

Perhaps the question I always wanted to answer myself is Who makes a design successful?. It is the people: users, colleagues, juries.

"If we do a project, we should try that after our intervention the place is better or not worse"
I was always an advocate of main idea, guiding idea, as we call it "el partido" in my country. A project in my opinion is good when it starts from a synthesis idea and all the design aspects come together to enhance it.
This idea must undoubtedly have a basis based on the complete analysis of the program, the site where the project will be implemented, its context, climatic and environmental conditions, its users or potential users, the memory, the cultural and constructive tradition of the place.

Absolutely and fully total, we owe ourselves to those aspects. I worked many years designing photovoltaic projects for Spain. Several of those works were built. About this issue, I won a 1st prize - project and prices - for parsol, associated with the Isofoton company. also built numerous public parks where we incorporate concepts of sustainable biosystems and renewbable energy.

The field of design evolves with technological-constructive developments, I have no doubts. I always tell my students how difficult it would have been for Le Corbusier to build the Villa Saboye, - “habitation machine” -, when both his thinking and his vision of architecture were so advanced and out of date with the technological and constructive solutions of the time.

My last exhibition (which I could not attend) was for a prize obtained in an architecture competition organized in Azerbaijan, in the city of Baku.
I would like to celebrate next ehibition where A´ Design Award decides, although the subject is complex due to the pandemic that is crossing the world.

Unfortunately, inspiration knocks on the door when she wants! Sometimes you imagine a project because some phrase from your client triggers an idea in your conscience, or because images, travels, visions, drawings come to your mind. And when I ´m teaching with my students, my head goes very fast and tries to give solutions to a design problem, which forces me to give you more than one solution, in a short time. That teaching process forces you to study, research and train all the time, it is very inspiring and formative.

I have always supported the idea that creativity is an individual process, sometimes wonderful and others frustrating. My style is an endless search for self-improvement. I am passionate about architecture that arouses special sensations, that exceeds the very scope that one imagine. Architecture that dialogues with its surroundings, in a playful and transgressive way.

My country, in many cases, was moving away from my understanding of the architectural paradigms of the world. There are many brilliant architects, however, the national production does not always reflect that creative genius many of my colleagues have. I suppose that this difficulty is revealed by the recurring economic problems to which our profession is subjected. Environmental issues are also being incorporated, gradually.

I contact with companies from the private field (my study) and from the public too (as an Subsecretariat), In both cases, I demand that the provision of their supplies or services reflects excellence, the relationship is always through contracts and public or private tenders .

The most relevant thing is to respect the designer and his propositional capacity. In many cases the creative process is not valued in its full magnitude, Our professions are developed in a field where matter is debatable, since many times it does not have a scientific basis such as medicine, and that by mistake is a weakness where they can penetrate contrary arguments. The selection of a good designer, if you have experience, is by viewing its background and its production; If she/he are just starting out, you can consult your university professors or see your production as a student. Time gives the maturity necessary to know, in the case of an interview, if the person interviewed has the quality and passion necessary to generate good designs.

I differentiate ideas of occurrences, a strong idea, persists and transcends its time and your own horizon, an occurrence no. It is based on previous experiences, sometimes own and sometimes foreign situations, the voice in my conscience of my master proffesor as the necessary self-criticism to refine the idea and design the entire proposal. Figuratively without losing sight of "the forest", then come "the trees", although these are also outlined, I finish adjusting the leaves and branches. All the particular aspects necessarily come together to reinforce the first general idea.

My own house, some wassily armchairs, a vintage armchair, a Venetian painting, a multi-effect led lamp, my glass table.

My day is divided into my activity and my family. It starts at 6.30 AM, I have breakfast with my family, we leave our daughters at school and at 8.00 I work as Undersecretary in the Faculty of Architecture, until noon, there I start my private activity until 16.00 PM I take my daughters at school, We share a snack and I will teach (twice a week) or I will stay working in my studio until 12.00 PM

That they live their profession with passion, each design is not just another fact, a photo of a curriculum, it is something that can transform your and others lifes forever. I always ask my students a question, when you start to be an architect, when you get your degree or when you sit for the first time in a faculty classroom in front of a sheet, and throw away your first drawings? I believe that one begins to be an architect from the moment that decide to study architecture, that is day zero and from that moment they must dedicate themselves to the profession with an eagerness for knowledge and with passion.

Positives, freedom and creativity, the possibility of helping others and transforming their lives; negatives, that in some cases the designs are matter "opinion", that is a weak flank.

Without hesitation the method, the golden number, methodological - theoretical questions that one knows and to which one resorts, passes them through the sieve of his personality and "reformulates" them. From a more humane place, I consider that my golden rule is to generate architectural events that transform and improve people's lives.

Creativity, search, dedication, knowing how to decode what is sought or needed, overcoming work to work.

My toolkit or resources are the computer, cad and revit programs, photoshop and office, many architecture magazines, a Ralph Erskine book, and internet search engines, sites like A´ Design Award, Pinterest, Archdaily.

How I can!!! Sometimes I even stay working during the night to the morning, where there is absolute calm, or on weekends, give my multiple activities as a liberal professional, public official and university professor.

It always depends on your scale, program and scope. But I think a design never "freezes", never closes, even finalized and built, there is always something that can be improved.

What is the best I can design to respond to this program?

It was certainly the work experience in Ireland, when I won with a partner the 1st prize in the international Father Collins Park competition in Dublin, Ireland, a project to design a public park on the outskirts of the city, organized by the city council and where 44 teams from all over the world participated. The process was extensive, from the moment we won the contest (in December 2003) until it was inaugurated (May 2009), with work marked by teleconferences, travel and the foundation of a company established in Ireland. Beautiful and complex process. That project gave us numerous satisfactions, we obtained numerous international awards. One of the superlative points was the environmental proposal, since we incorporated a lake and weetlands where the procreation of wild species was spoiled, and we incorporated wind turbines whose energy generation served to power the lights and motors of the park.

My clients are private investors and real estate developers. But my public function also defines other types of users, fundamentally the academic community.

I like to design, any challenge that involves designing I'm passionate about it.

I would love to be able to work in europe, generate a new experience of working abroad.

n most cases I develop my designs by myself, but I rescue multidisciplinary work and among colleagues a lot, because it enriches your own world, and sometimes, it can give you a different vision of a problem whose subjective focus does not allow you to have a second look .

I am currently carrying out several projects, of multifamily housing in the city of Buenos Aires, various scales, also preparing talks for students and a new project for the Faculty of Architecture, an architecture research laboratory as Subsecretariat.

Through my emails fabelleyro@yahoo.com / fernando.abelleyro@fadu.uba.ar or my website https://abelleyroyasociados.wixsite.com/abelleyroyasociados

Yes, I wanted to share one last thought, which is
"The challenge of reflecting, designing and building."
University training and professional practice offer the project challenge of reflecting, designing and building. The path of permanent personal learning and training, begun in university workshops, transfers different scales and spaces of proposal, academic and labor. The University, Public Organizations, private studies and companies, Architecture and Urbanism competitions, may be those areas where everyone can think, design, plan and materialize architecture and urban projects. These projects will constitute social events and therefore a propositional axis will be necessary, the structuring of which will be independent of the field of work where the architect develop them, and will be defined by the theoretical framework of their training, dialogue with the context of their insertion, critical analysis and self-criticism of ideas, knowledge of available technologies and resources, applied methodology, enriching multidisciplinary work and, fundamentally, the good of the community.